covington 464WBS, Owner'S Manual

6

2019.01

silicon carbide, as diamond belts will not wear down as quickly. For beginners, we recommend starting with 

the silicon carbide belts because of the cost savings. Once you have your process down, replace the grits you 

use the most with diamond to reduce frequent belt changes. 

•  Polishing:

 The polishing operation removes minimal surface material; some materials require both pre-polish 

and polish steps.  Pre-polish usually consist of 600g or finer silicon carbide or in the case of glass 2F or 4F 

pumice powder applied to a cork belt. An excellent general-purpose polishing compound is optical grade 

cerium oxide on a felt belt. Covington’s felt belts are made out of wool and will shrink if not used and stored 

properly. Should you decide to polish with a felt belt, it is very important to make it the last process of the 

day on your machine. We recommend turning off your water valve and using a spray bottle or a similar 

device to keep the belt moist and charged with polishing compound. The valve can cause the belt to become 

oversaturated with water and can wash the expensive polishing compounds off of the belt. When you are done 

with your belt, let the machine run for a few extra minutes to wring out any extra water. We never recommend 

washing the polishing compounds from your belt. Let your felt belt dry on the machine overnight. In the 

morning, check to make sure it is completely dry (any moisture will cause it to mold), and then turn your 

machine on with the felt belt on to stretch the belt back out to proper size. You can now take the felt belt off of 

your machine and store it properly in a clean dry container such as a paper bag or cardboard box that will wick 

any residual moisture away from the belt. A sealed plastic container is not ideal since it will hold moisture and 

can cause the belt to mold.

•  Belt Creeping:

 If the belt moves to one side when sanding, the belt may be too loose or you may be grinding 

above the backing plate. If you are needing to use the softer belt area above the backing plate, you may notice 

more belt creeping than when you use the backing plate. To keep the belt centered over your drums, press hard 

against the soft belt area and guide the belt with your piece. Make a belt tension adjustment by tightening or 

loosening the vertical bolt with spring (see belt adjustment above).

•  Wear Out:

 A well-used belt will leave a finer finish than when the belt was new.  A well-worn fine grit belt 

may be used as a pre-polish belt.  Sanding belts do not lose their usefulness until the belt backing wears out.

Material 

Type

Belt 

Material

Belt Mesh 

or Polish

Notes

Glass

Felt

Cerium

I tried this combination and had great results!

**We recommend logging your trials using a chart like the one below. This helps you track 

and repeat effective processes.